Denver Pioneers
The Denver Pioneers are a Men's Division I team in the Western Collegiate Hockey Association. The University of Denver began playing ice hockey in 1949 in a surplus WWII naval drill hall that had been re-purposed into the 5,200 seat DU Arena, where the Pioneers would play up until 1997. The Pioneers went 4-13 that first season, but soon became a competitve program, and in 1956, the hiring of legendary coach Murray Armstrong would make the Pioneers the dominant program in NCAA hockey during the 1960s. Armstrong's teams won 5 NCAA titles (58, 60, 61, 68 and 69) with a steady pipeline of talented players, mostly from Western Canada. The greatest of these teams was the 1960-61 DU team that went 30-1-1, and won the NCAA Championship Game 12-2, the largest margin of victory in history. Other highlights of the 60s included a victory and a tie against the 1960 U.S. and Soviet Olympic teams, respectively, as well as the 1968-69 Denver NCAA Championship team, led by future NHLers Keith Magnuson, Cliff Korroll and Craig Patrick, which defeated Ken Dryden's Cornell team in the title game, 4-3. The Pioneers fielded many strong teams in the 1970s, and a several in the 1980s and 90s, but were unable to claim another NCAA crown until 2004, when the Pioneers defeated Maine 1-0 in a memorable title run under coach George Gwozdecky. The Pioneers proved the title was no fluke when they repeated as Champions in 2005 with a 4-1 win over North Dakota. Today, the Pioneers play to sellout crowds of 6,000+ in Magness Arena, part of a $75 million sports complex that was completed in 2000. Current head coach George Gwozdecky 1 *The only coach in NCAA history to win a hockey national title as a player, assistant coach and head coach. *Gwozdecky-coached teams have reached the NCAA Tournament (including the 1992-93 Miami team) in seven of the last 15 years. *Captured ten Denver Cup titles *Gwozdecky holds a 461-319-61 (.580) record in 21 seasons as a Head Coach. *Gwozdecky sports a 394-289-59 (.566) record coaching Division I programs over 18 seasons *Gwozdecky has won two Spencer Penrose Awards as the National Coach of the Year. Coaching records "*Ranks 18th All-Time in NCAA Division I Wins" Current Roster NHL alumni Retired players *Bill Masterton, on January 13, 1968, fell to the ice, hitting his head. He died two days later of massive head injuries, becoming the first player to die as a direct result of an injury during an NHL game. The Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy is awarded annually to the NHL player who best personifies perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to the game of hockey *Craig Patrick was the GM of 1991 & 1992 Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins Active players *as of 12/19/07 Arenas DU Arena (1948–1997) University of Denver Arena was a 5,200-seat multi-purpose arena in Denver, Colorado. It was home to the University of Denver Pioneers ice hockey team. It also hosted several Frozen Fours. It was razed in 1997 to make room for the $75 million Magness Arena, (part of the Ritchie Center for Sports and Wellness) which opened in 1999. Originally a Naval Drill Hall built during World War II in Farragut, Idaho, the DU arena was donated to the University after the war and reassembled on the Denver campus in 1948-49 to house the University's then-new ice hockey program. The arena was refurbished in 1972-73 when the roof needed repairs, and 14 seven-ton steel trussess were added to shore up the roof. Additional patchwork renovations were added in the 1990s, prior to razing the building in 1997. The best known features of the arena were the steep bleacher balcony at the south end, and the 1970s rainbow painted on the north end wall. Famous hockey games held there include the NCAA ice hockey finals in 1961, 1964 and 1976. Magness Arena (1999–present) The Ritchie CenterMagness Arena is a 7,200-seat multi-purpose collegiate sports arena in Denver, Colorado. It was built in 2000 as part of the Daniel L. Ritchie Center for Sports & Wellness, a $75 million, 400,000-square-foot (37,000 m2) sports complex at the University of Denver. It is home to the University of Denver Pioneers ice hockey and basketball teams. The Ritchie Center replaced the former DU Arena and DU Fieldhouse, which were razed in 1997 to make way for the Ritchie Center. The basketball team also plays smaller games at Hamilton Gymnasium, located in the Ritchie Center. The arena is named after cable television pioneer Bob Magness, who donated $10 million towards construction costs. Category:American ice hockey teams Category:National Collegiate Athletic Association teams Category:WCHA teams